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Schooner Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.6M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.6M

Schooner Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$9.6 million (2023)
  • Total Assets: $249 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $600,000
  • Median Grant: $45,000 - $50,000
  • Number of Grants: 122 awards (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Global (with Boston/Massachusetts preference for domestic grants)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Overview

The Schooner Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1996 by Vincent "Vin" Ryan, the multimillionaire investment manager who founded Schooner Capital in 1971, and his wife Carla Meyer. Originally called the Ryan Family Charitable Foundation, it serves as the philanthropic arm of Boston-based investment firm Schooner Capital. The foundation's wealth is primarily funded by investments in Iron Mountain Inc., a global records management company that Ryan purchased and grew from a single storage site to a $30+ billion enterprise.

With approximately $249 million in assets and distributing nearly $10 million annually, the foundation operates on a global scale while maintaining strong ties to its Boston home base. The foundation believes in "the fundamental right to a life with dignity, opportunity, and access to resources" and strives to advance human rights by leveraging funds, partnerships, and resources where there is the greatest need and opportunity. Since 2014, the foundation has awarded over 780 individual grants totaling more than $61 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Schooner Foundation supports four primary funding areas:

  1. Human Rights & Social Justice ($10,000 - $500,000)

    • Civil liberties and advocacy
    • Peace and security initiatives
    • Campaign finance reform
    • Investigative journalism

  2. Global Health Equity ($10,000 - $590,000)

    • Maternal and infant health
    • Medical education and training
    • Mental health initiatives
    • Healthcare access in underserved regions

  3. Education & Economic Empowerment ($10,000 - $500,000)

    • Higher education institutions
    • Youth development programs
    • Women's economic development
    • Community development

  4. Environment ($10,000 - $300,000)

    • Conservation and biodiversity
    • Land trusts
    • Environmental resilience

Grant Types

  • General operating support
  • Project-based grants
  • Fellowships

Priority Areas

What They Actively Fund:

  • Organizations working in North America, Latin America, Caribbean, Central/Eastern Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa
  • U.S.-based organizations doing international work
  • Boston/Massachusetts-based nonprofits (preferred for domestic giving)
  • Scalable and replicable solutions
  • Organizations that "excel in their fields of expertise"
  • Partners who share values of trust, integrity, and respect

Notable Recent Recipients Include:

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (Hiatt Residency in Global Health Equity) - $500,000
  • Vet Voice Foundation - $400,000
  • Fund for Global Human Rights - $300,000
  • Partners in Health - $269,000
  • Massachusetts General Hospital - $250,000
  • RYR-1 Foundation - $589,569
  • Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, Brennan Center for Justice
  • Nature Conservancy, Indian River Land Trust (Florida)
  • Street Business School (women's economic development across Africa)

What They Don't Fund

  • The foundation does not publicly articulate exclusions
  • They do not accept unsolicited proposals - only preselected organizations receive grants

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Vincent J. "Vin" Ryan - Founder & Primary Trustee

  • Chairman of Schooner Capital (founded 1971)
  • Director of Iron Mountain
  • Boston University alumnus (CAS'63)
  • Current board: Nature Conservancy; Carr Center Advisory Board Chair (Harvard Kennedy School)
  • Former boards: Marine Biological Laboratory, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Physicians for Human Rights, Survivor Corps

Carla E. Meyer - Trustee

  • Social worker (MSW from Boston University SSW'78) and philanthropist
  • Former lecturer at Boston University School of Social Work
  • Boston University Board of Trustees member

Cynthia A. Ryan - Trustee & Senior Africa Advisor

  • Director of Schooner Africa Fund (impact investing in East African agriculture)
  • Based in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Former Principal and Executive Director of Schooner Foundation (1998-2012)
  • Started the foundation with her father in 1998
  • Former Alternate Representative to the 71st UN General Assembly (appointed 2016)
  • Board experience: Fund for Global Human Rights, Wangari Maathai Foundation, Women for Women International, SHOFCO, Nature Conservancy Africa Advisory Council

Jennifer Ryan - Trustee

Additional family members serve as trustees

Staff Leadership

Julia B. Pettengill - Executive Director (since 2018)

  • Compensation: $164,252 (2023)
  • Provides strategic leadership for global grantmaking and institutional operations
  • Manages portfolio of 80+ partnerships
  • Background in international development, nonprofit leadership, and fundraising with focus on sub-Saharan Africa
  • Education: BA and MEd from University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Current boards: Friendship Bench, Zimele, Fathers' UpLift
  • Co-chair: UCSF HEAL Initiative Advisory Council
  • Member: Harvard Medical School Global Health and Service Delivery Advisory Council

Isabel Vinson - Associate

  • Primary contact for general questions and inquiries

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Schooner Foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are awarded through invitation only.

The foundation does not publicly share its grantmaking procedures or decision-making criteria.

Getting on Their Radar

The Schooner Foundation's invitation-only model means prospective grantees must build relationships before receiving consideration. Based on the foundation's documented approach:

Key Entry Points:

  1. Direct Outreach for Inquiries

  2. Board and Trustee Networks

    • Organizations where Vin Ryan holds board positions have received significant funding (e.g., Survivor Corps)
    • Cynthia Ryan's extensive nonprofit board involvement (Fund for Global Human Rights, Nature Conservancy Africa, SHOFCO) represents potential connection points for Africa-focused work
    • Julia Pettengill's board positions (Friendship Bench, Fathers' UpLift) and advisory roles indicate active engagement with the field

  3. Academic and Institutional Partners

    • The foundation has served as a partner to the Carr Center at Harvard Kennedy School for over two decades
    • Strong relationships with Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston University, and UCSF

  4. Geographic Alignment

    • Boston-based organizations have a documented preference advantage
    • Organizations working in East Africa, particularly Kenya, align with Cynthia Ryan's focus area

  5. Student Internship Program

    • The foundation offers student internship opportunities (contact Isabel Vinson)
    • This represents a potential relationship-building pathway

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation files Form 990-PF annually in November.

Success Rates

Not publicly available - invitation-only model means traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed due to invitation-only grantmaking model.

Application Success Factors

For organizations seeking to be considered by the Schooner Foundation:

  1. Alignment with Core Values: The foundation seeks partners who share their values of "trust, integrity, and respect" - this language appears consistently in their materials and likely influences selection decisions.

  2. Demonstrated Excellence: They explicitly seek organizations that "excel in their fields of expertise" - established track records and recognized impact matter.

  3. Scalable Solutions: The foundation invests in "equitable, replicable, and scalable solutions" - models that can grow or be adapted elsewhere are prioritized.

  4. Geographic Fit: Strong Boston presence for domestic work, or U.S.-based organizations doing international work in their geographic priority areas (Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Middle East).

  5. Relationship-Based Engagement: Given the lack of articulated specific priorities within focus areas, personal relationships and networking are essential. The foundation notes this "restricts clarity around its process" but grantees show patterns aligned with trustee interests and board positions.

  6. Diverse Organization Sizes: The foundation invests across organizations of various sizes, suggesting openness to both established and emerging nonprofits that align with their mission.

  7. Long-Term Partnership Approach: The foundation provides "guidance, advocates on issues, and fosters strategic collaborations" with grantees - they appear to value deep partnerships over transactional relationships.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Invitation-only means relationship-first: Without a public application process, networking and relationship building are the only pathways to funding. Identify connections through trustee networks, academic partnerships, or sector convenings.

  2. Boston advantage: Organizations based in or serving Boston/Massachusetts have a documented preference - leverage this geographic alignment if applicable.

  3. Human rights lens is central: Despite four funding areas, human rights advancement is the foundation's core mission - frame your work in terms of dignity, opportunity, and access to resources.

  4. Trustee passions drive giving: Vin Ryan's board memberships (Survivor Corps, Nature Conservancy), Cynthia Ryan's Africa focus, and Julia Pettengill's global health expertise all correlate with significant grants.

  5. Contact is welcome: Despite not accepting formal proposals, the foundation encourages direct contact with questions or ideas through Isabel Vinson or general email.

  6. Grant sizes vary widely: From $1,000 to $600,000, with a median around $50,000 - the foundation supports organizations at different scales and stages.

  7. U.S. organizations preferred for global work: International grantmaking primarily supports U.S.-based organizations working abroad, not direct grants to overseas entities.

References

Accessed December 2024

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